GAA TV volunteer caught with 100,000 counterfeit cigarettes in pub carpark avoids jail
Daire McKenna pleaded guilty to having tobacco which did not have the appropriate tax stamp attached
A 41-year-old man found with 100,000 counterfeit cigarettes in a pub carpark has avoided jail after he donated €5,000 to charity.
Daire McKenna, Pier Rampart, Derryadd, Craigavon, Co. Armagh, pleaded guilty to having tobacco which did not have the appropriate tax stamp attached. A second charge of evasion of Excise Duty was taken into consideration.
Dundalk Circuit Court heard how the defendant, an Armagh GAA TV volunteer who previously received a nine-year sentence for possession of explosives, drove into the car park of the Rosewood Country Club, Ravensdale, Dundalk and was stopped by Gardaí.
Det. Gda. Adrian Buckley gave evidence that this occurred at 5pm on October 29, 2020, and in the Volvo being driven by Mr McKenna boxes of cigarettes were located in the boot. A mobile phone and £900stg were also seized by Gardaí.
It was later established that the cigarettes were counterfeit, and that there was a potential €56,000 loss to the Exchequer.
An arrangement was later made for the father of two to attend a garda station voluntarily but he didn't turn up and was arrested on August 14, 2021 at Tayto Park and brought to Ashbourne Garda Station.
There were five previous convictions in Northern Ireland, including the nine-year term handed down in 2008 for possession of explosives with intent to endanger property and two convictions for each of common assault and obstructing police.
Daire McKenna
Counsel said that Mr McKenna was married 12 years and worked as a self-employed plasterer. He had taken on a second job as a driver.
He was a volunteer with Armagh GAA TV videoing and livestreaming matches, attending 200 games in the last two years.
The court was asked to consider a suspended sentence. He was a different man than five years ago, and willing to make a suggested financial contribution of €5,000.
On the adjourned date, the court was told that the defendant had taken out a Credit Union loan for the €5,000.
Judge Dara Hayes directed that it be given to Turas Addiction Services in Dundalk.
Read more Bomb plot GAA man jailed for CIRA explosives haul is 100k Smokey Bandit
Passing sentence, the judge said that aggravating factors were the serious nature of the offending and the quantity of cigarettes for which there was no innocent explanation. There were 100,000 counterfeit cigarettes, not just a few cartons.
This was clearly an attempt to some degree to trade in illicit cigarettes.
In mitigation, there was his remorse, plea of guilty and some form of restitution. There had been no subsequent adverse attention for coming on five years.
Judge Hayes imposed a 21-month sentence, suspended in its entirety for 21 months, on condition the defendant keeps the peace and is of good behaviour.
A forfeiture order was made for the £900 and the court ordered the destruction of the cigarettes and mobile phone.
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Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Missing poker player lost €4k within hours of his arrival in Dublin, gardaí say
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Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
From the Kerry archives, June 30, 2000: A Sonny Knowles riot, King Puck statue & farewell to Mercy Sisters
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Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Michael Gaine suspect Michael Kelley applying for Irish citizenship
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Whether or not I'm a suspect is not a matter of perspective. It's a matter of public record,' he also said. Asked did he say anything to the Gardaí, Mr Kelley told us: 'Well of course but that's all stuff that is privileged between the guards, the solicitor and myself.' We then asked him if he denies any involvement in the murder of Mr Gaine - to which he said: 'Yes.' When we asked Mr Kelley what he believed had happened to Mr Gaine he responded: 'It would be incautious for me to comment on that on the advice of my solicitor.' But he told us he was upset over Mr Gaine's death - and again affirmed that he is denying any involvement. When asked why he believed Gardaí were looking at him as the suspect he said: 'Because I lived there.' We asked the man, who subsequently posed for pictures for this paper, what he thought of the fact that body parts were discovered in a dismembered state. Mr Kelley cited the fact that at the time of this interview Gardaí had not yet formally identified the remains as being those of Mr Gaine. 'I'm aware that the police claim that but I have not seen the evidence to that effect. I've seen only that they recovered body parts from the slurry tank but I have not seen that those body parts have been identified as Michael Gaine,' he said. 'So we have body parts but we don't know that they're Michael Gaine's and I was not shown any evidence of that myself.' In a subsequent interview with this paper Mr Kelley said he was accepting 'at face value' that the remains had been identified as being of Mr Gaine. He also spoke to us about Gardaí showing him photos of a chainsaw they believed may have been used to dismember Mr Gaine's remains. 'The chainsaw thing is preposterous or they would have charged me. I mean Texas Chainsaw Massacre bullshit? I mean please. Preposterous,' he said. 'They had colour glossy photos of the chainsaw. I said where the f*ck is the glossy photograph of anything having to do with Michael Gaine's body? I didn't see it. 'This is a little card game that they're playing. Where's your evidence? Where's the macabre photo?' he said. 'They don't have it. They have nothing and if they did show me a colour glossy photo of the human remains they had I bet you I would have called bullsh*t right there and said there's no way that those human remains could be his.' It's believed that whoever killed Michael Gaine used water and disinfectant to remove forensic evidence from the scene, washing it into the same slurry tank where the remains were later discovered. The finds were made by specialist Gardaí from the Technical Bureau and the Water Unit, who combed large areas of land as well as every inch of the large slurry tank. It was revealed in May that Gardaí are satisfied the remains are those of Mr Gaine, who was last seen in a Centra Shop in Kenmare, around 8 km from his farm, on March 20. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
